Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have delivered a decisive blow to ISIS-K (Daesh Khurasan) with the arrest of the group’s official spokesman and media chief, Khariji Sultan Aziz Azzam, in a covert operation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The arrest, confirmed by multiple intelligence sources, has crippled the organisation’s propaganda machinery that extended across South and Central Asia.
Sultan Aziz Azzam, founder and head of ISIS-K’s notorious media arm, the Al-Azaim Foundation, was taken into custody in May 2025 while attempting to cross into Pakistan, officials said. His detention followed months of surveillance and intelligence penetration into ISIS-K’s media and logistics networks.
Born in 1978 in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, Azzam is a graduate of the University of Nangarhar and joined ISIS-K in 2016, rapidly ascending through the ranks by overseeing propaganda, recruitment messaging, and ideological outreach. His role placed him at the heart of the group’s operational messaging, making him one of ISIS-K’s most influential non-combat figures.
In November 2021, the United States designated Azzam a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, citing his role in directing extremist media and facilitating recruitment for violent operations. Intelligence officials stress that his arrest was not a coincidence, but the culmination of sustained counter-terrorism coordination focused on dismantling ISIS-K’s command-and-control narrative infrastructure.
The impact was swift. Following Azzam’s arrest, ISIS-K’s media output sharply declined, with several propaganda channels, including the high-profile platform “Voice of Khurasan,” going silent.
Pakistani security officials say this disruption has forced ISIS-K into a defensive posture, complicating its ability to inspire lone-actor attacks or coordinate regional operations. “Propaganda is oxygen for such groups,” one senior official told Daily Times. “When you cut it off, the network struggles to breathe.”
The United Nations Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team corroborated Pakistan’s assessment, stating that Islamabad’s counter-terrorism operations have significantly weakened ISIS-K’s organisational structure at a global level.
It is being said that recent arrests have resulted in a marked decline in the group’s operational capability while ISIS-K’s media apparatus–critical to its transnational influence–suffered severe disruption following these actions.
Independent analysts tracking militant networks echoed this assessment. Iftikhar Firdous, security and counter-terrorism expert, described Azzam’s arrest as a turning point for ISIS-K’s information warfare strategy. He posted on X, “Sultan Aziz Azzam, considered to be the second in command of the Islamic State Khurasan, founder of Al Azaim Media, that’s published more than 3000 books and pamphlets and over 7 thousand audios and videos, has been arrested.”
For Pakistan, the operation reinforces the effectiveness of intelligence-led counter-terrorism at a time when militant groups continue to seek space along regional fault lines. Officials say the arrest sends a clear signal that cross-border sanctuaries will not shield those orchestrating violence or extremist propaganda.
Regionally, the disruption of ISIS-K’s media nerve centre undermines its ability to project influence beyond isolated pockets. Analysts say this weakens the group’s appeal to foreign recruits and reduces its capacity to coordinate or inspire attacks abroad.
Security officials confirmed to Daily Times that interrogations and forensic analysis of seized material are ongoing and expected to yield further leads. The focus, they say, is sustained pressure–dismantling remaining cells, blocking funding streams, and preventing any revival of ISIS-K’s propaganda infrastructure.